2-10-2 Steam Locomotives in India

Class H (Locobase 20313)

Data from "Ten-Coupled Tank Locomotive, Bombay Port Trust Railway", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXVIII [28], (15 September 1922), p. 255; and "Heavy 2-10-2 Tank Locomotives for the Bombay Port Trust Railway, Railroad Gazette (UK), Volume XXXVII [37], (1 September 1922), pp. 279-. See also the Nasmyth Wilson production list at [],%20Gaskell%20and%20Company&nojs=1, last accessed 24 October 2017. (Thanks to David Cormack for his 17 November 2020 email correcting the wheel arrangement for this pair.) Works numbers were 1357-1358 in 1922.

Although most of the BPT motive power stud consisted of the handy little A class Mogul tanks (Locobase 20312), the Port Authority felt the need for something much more powerful for shunting the Wadala gravitation yard. This facility lay about six miles from the Ballard Pier Station in Bombay itself and was the inshore end of a 14-mile (22 km) rail line. It was part of a modern railway built to handle traffic from a port that accounted for half of India's total export traffic. 104 miles of track served the docks' goods traffic. Most of the mileage used 75 lb/yard (37.5 kg/metre) rail. Passenger trains consisted of troop trains and postal trains attended the port's mail steamers.

BPT got this enormous pair from the relatively small Manchester buiilder, who took advantage of the generous rail and loading gauge to put the boiler's centreline 9 ft (2.74 metres) above rail level. They were among the largest tank locomotives to operate on the broad gauge. "The design of the locomotive is of a striking character and, needless to add [wait for the addition], the workmanship exhibited in every detail is of the highest class." 10" (254 mm) piston valves admitted saturated steam to the cylinders.

Few designs are more attractive than those that are already paid for and these served well enough. BPT used the pair until at least 1996.